Plaiting



31, 1942. c. SEAMAN 2,277,722

PLEATING v Original Filed Oct. 4, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 o o w 2.0 22 5- 26 I 4 46 INVENTOR.

CHAELES Sgnmhu Ema I ATTORNEY. n

March 31, 1942. cfsEA'mAN" 2,277,722

PLEATING Original Filed Oct. 4, .1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 7

ATTORNEY.

March 31, 1942.. SEAMAN 2,217,722

PLEA'I'ING Original Filed Oct. 4, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet :5

INVENTOR.

. /f/- ARL E: SEAMAN ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 31, 1942 gym-2 FHCE PLAITI NG Charles Seaman, Jamaica Estates, N. Y.

Original application October 4, 1939, Serial No. 297,843. Divided and this application March 16, 1940, Serial No. 324,267

9 Claims.

This invention relates to plaiting.

An object of the invention is to provide a plaiting having a novel and pleasing appearance.

Various other objects and advantages will become apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed.

In accordance with the principles of this invention, a strip of plaiting material is advanced to a pair of spaced needles for stitching at the opposite longitudinal edges. As the plaiting material is thus advanced, successively spaced folds extending transversely of the material are formed therein. During the further advance of the folded material, the ends of the folds are retracted from the paths of the needles, whereby a row of stitches extends along each side edge of the material. It is to be noted that the stitches do not penetrate the folds but span or bridge, and at the same time embrace, said folds at the bases thereof.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the folds have a puffed effect. This is secured by utilizing a plaiting blade having means forming I ing material, prior to plaiting and stitching, is

subjected to a folding operation whereby the raw side edges are folded rearwardly and onto the under surface of the material.

The nature of the product, and particularly the form and shape of the folds having the puffed effect, depends on the nature of the material which constitutes the plaiting. When the plaiting material consists of a material which is somewhat loose and soft, so that it is deformed by the action of the plaiting blade as the latter engages and advances the central portion thereof, there is produced spaced plaits or folds having the puffed effect, the ends of which are inclined rearwardly and the front thereof is concave or has a re-entrant angle. When the folded material is made of a relatively stiff fabric, the plaiting blade will advance the material uniformly across its entire width with the result that the folds take the form of a series of upstanding or inclined tubular rolls extending transversely of the material. When a fiat braid is utilized, the folds extend beyond the side edges of the stitched braid and have a re-entrant angle at the front thereof.

Though in the preceding embodiments of the longitudinal edge is folded and stitched. Such an embodiment is particularly utilized with a relatively stiff material.

The folds may be spaced as desired. They may be evenly spaced Or they may be variably spaced.

In order to more fully explain the invention, there will hereafter be described an illustrative apparatus for producing the plaited material.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an illustrative sewing machine for carrying out the method according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof with parts broken away to show the plaiting mechanism;

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the sewing machine taken from the right-hand side of Figures 1 and 2, showing the driving mechanism;

Figure 4 is a detail view showing the cam.

mechanism and the means for supporting the same;

Figure 5 is a detail view showing the needle, plaiting blade and folder;

Figure 6 is a detail View of the plaiting blade; Figure 7 is a detail view of the presser foot; Figure 8 is a section taken on the line 88 of Figure 5 showing the relative position of the plaiting blade and presser foot prior to stitching the plait;

Figure 9 is a similar sectional view showing the relative position of the plaiting blade and presser foot after the plait has received a stitch;

Figure 10 is a plan view of one embodiment of a folded plaiting embodying the principles of this invention;

Figure 11 is a section taken on the line I |-l I of Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a plan view of another embodiment of a folded plaiting embodying the principles of this invention;

Figure 13-is a section taken on the line l3l3 of Figure 12;

Figure 14 is a top plan view illustrating a further embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 15 is a section taken on the line l5l5 of Figure 14.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, wherein like reference numerals designate like parts, the reference numeral I0 designates a sewing machine head mounted upon a base II.

The head l0 carries the usual presser foot bar 12 and a vertically reciprocating needle bar l3 and is provided with suitable driving mechanism construction, and only so much thereof is shown and described herein as is necessary to an understanding of the present invention.

A bracket I1 is attached to the sewing machine head I6 by suitable means, shown as screws [8 (Figures 4 and This bracket H is provided with a bearing 2!], in which is journaled a rock shaft 2| carrying an oscillating arm 22. A pin 23 (Figures 2 and 5) is secured to the arm 22 by a set screw 24. A plaiting blade 25 is attached to a bracket 26 which is pivoted on the pin 23. The blade 25 is held in contact with the plaiting material by a spring 21 as it is reciprocated by the arm 22. The plaiting blade carries at its free end a finger 29 (Figures 5 and 6) which forms therewith a pocket 30, in which the fold of material extends when the blade is actuated, as will be described.

The rock shaft 2| alsocarries a cam follower 33 having an inclined cam surface 34 (Figure 4) A spring 35 (Figure 2) may be positioned between a collar 38 attached to the bracket l! and the cam follower 33 for holding the cam follower in engagement with a camAO, to be described.

The cam follower 33 is actuated by axial movement of a cam 40 having a beveled cam surface M. The cam 49 is shown as mounted on a push-rod 62, one end of which is journaled in a bearing 43 in the bracket H. The other end of the push-rod 42 is slidably held in a bracket 44 which is attached to the sewing machine head ID by screws 46 (Figures 1-3),

The bracket 44 carries a frame in which is journaled a shaft 4'! having a cam 48 at one end thereof and having at its other end a worm gear 1 4S meshing with a worm 50 attached to the drive shaft M. The cam 48 is positioned to engage the end of the push-rod 42 for causing axial movement thereof The rod 42 may be held in contact with the cam 48 by means of a spring 5| which may extend between the bracket l1 and a collar 53 attached to said rod 42. The above-described drive mechanism is described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 297,842, filed October 4, 1939. The apparatus herein described is a special embodiment of the invention set forth in said copending application applied to a two-needle sewing machine for making the novel type of plaiting. It is to be understood that an adjustable stop may be attached to the push-rod 42, as shown in said application, to permit adjustment of the throw of said push-rod.

The presser foot bar If carries a presser foot 55 having a longitudinal opening 56 (Figures 7, 8 and 9) formed between inner Walls 51. The opening 56 is of a width corresponding to that of the plaiting material and serves as a guide therefor during stitching. The presser foot 55 is also provided with a pair of bosses 58 which extend inwardly from the walls 51 above the surface of the presser foot and have needle apertures 59 through which the needles l6 pass in stitching. The bosses 56 serve to hold the ends of the plaits out of the path of the needles as will be described.

The presser foot 55 also carries a guide and folder 60 which may be adapted to fold under the side edges 6| of a strip of plaiting material 62 so as to form a two-ply ribbon with the raw edges abutting in the lower ply. The folder 60 may, however, take other forms. It may, for example, be designed to merely fold under the raw side edges to form hems along the sides of the strip of material, or, if the edges are already finished, the folder may constitute a guide only to guide the material without folding. In any case, the folder 60 is positioned to guide the material 62 to the opening 56 in the presser foot 55. A tensioning gate 64 may be provided to hold the plaiting material 62 under the required tension. A layer of fabric 63, to which the plaiting material 62 is to be stitched, is fed to the path of the needles l6, beneath the presser foot 55, by suitable guides and feed dogs, not shown.

The arrangement is such that the pleating material is fed with the fabric 63 to the needles for stitching. The reciprocating plaiting blade advances the plaiting material 62 to the needles in a plurality of successive and spaced folds 65 which form in the pocket 30 beneath the finger 29 of the plaiting blade. These folds 65 are held out of the path of the needles I6 by the bosses '58 on the presser foot so that the rows of stitches 66 pass thereunder along the side edges of the plaiting material 62, as will be later described,

In operation, the rotation of the cam 48 causes the rod 42 to reciprocate. The beveled surface H of the cam 46, engaging the cam follower 33, actuates the rock shaft 2|, thereby oscillating the arm 22 and causing the blade 25 to reciprocate in a direction to engage and advance the plaiting material 62 to the needle in successive folds. When the blade 25 engages the material in its feeding stroke, the material puffs up into the pocket 36 between the blade and the finger 29 so as to form the folds 65. The blade 25 is made narrower than the spacing between the bosses 58 so that it can advance the folds 65 past the stitching position. As the blade and fold approach the stitching position, the needles I6 penetrate the plaiting material 62 to form stitches at" the base of the fold 65, as shown in Figure 8. The blade 25 then advances the fold past the stitching position while the bosses 58 hold the ends 67 of the folds out of the path of the needles to permit the next stitch to span the base of the fold, as indicated at 68 (Figures 11, 13 and 15), without penetrating the fold itself. When the fold passes the bosses 58, the ends 61 are released and extend laterally over the two rows of stitches 66, as shown in Figures 10, 12 and 14.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 10 and 11, the material 62 is somewhat soft and loose so that it is deformed by the action of the blade as it engages and advances the central portion thereof. This results in the formation of spaced plaits or folds having a puffed effect, the ends of which are inclined rearwardly so that the front 69 of the plait is concave or has a re-entrant angle.

If the folded material is made of a relatively stiff fabric, the plaiting blade 25 will advance the material uniformly across its entire width. In that event, the folds may take the form of a series of upstanding tubular rolls extending across the material, as shown in Figures 12 and 13.

In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a fiat braid of a width corresponding to the spacing of the needles [6 may be fed to the machine in a position to be actuated by the blade 25. The blade then folds and stretches the braid at each actuation thereof so as to form a puffed fold or plait having characteristics shown in Figures 14 and 15. In this embodiment, the folds extend beyond the side edges of the stitched braid and have a re-entrant angle at the front thereof.

In a further embodiment, the material may be folded at one edge only or one needle may be removed to form a puffed plaiting having one side folded and secured, as shown in Figure 10, but with the other side unstitched.

It is to be noted that the stitches between the folds are in a straight line and do not extend or project beyond the edge of the plaiting material. The stitches which span the folds also embrace or contact the ends of said folds adjacent the bottom thereof.

In the embodiments above described, the folds have been shown as evenly spaced. The folds may, however, be variedly spaced as desired by changing the shape of the cam 43. The cam has been shown as a four-face cam. It may, however, be replaced by a two-face cam, the spacing between plaits being determined by the number of faces on the cam and the gear ratio of the driving means therefor. An irregular spacing may be obtained by providing a cam having an irregular surface, such, for example, as a cam having two cam faces adapted to actuate the rod 42, and separated by a circular segment adapted to provide a period of dwell. Various other embodiments in cam design will be evident to a person skilled in the art.

Though a single plaiting mechanism has been described and illustrated, it is to be understood that a plurality of plaiting mechanisms actuated by the mechanism herein described may be utilized, it being further understood that each plaiting mechanism will cooperate with different needles. For example, in a 4, 6, 8, 10 or more needle machine, 2, 3, 4, or more, respectively, plaiting attachments will be used.

It is obvious that, by changing the manner of folding the material and by changing the condition of the material itself, various effects may be obtained. In certain instances, the fabric 63 may be replaced by paper, which may be subsequently removed from the stitched material to provide strip plaiting.

Although certain embodiments of the invention have been shown for purposes of illustration, it is to be understood that the invention is capable of various uses and that changes and modifications may be made therein as will be apparent to a person skilled in the art. Certain specific terms are used herein for convenience in referring to certain details of the invention.

1. A strip plaiting comprising a strip of plaiting material having spaced folds formed therein.

extending transversely of said material and a row of stitches along at least one side edge of said material, each'penetration of each of the stitches in said row passing through said strip of plaiting material, said stitches spanning and embracing the ends of said folds at the base thereof without penetrating said folds.

2. A strip plaiting comprising a strip of plaiting material having spaced puffed folds formed therein extending transversely of said material and a row of stitches along at least one side edge of said material, each penetration of each of the stitches in said row passing through said strip of plaiting material, said stitches spanning and embracing the ends of the folds at the base thereof without penetrating said folds.

3. A strip plaiting comprising a strip of plaiting material having a series of spaced upstanding tubular rolls extending transversely of the material and a row of stitches along at least one side edge of said material, each penetration of each of the stitches in said row passing through said strip of plaiting material, said stitches spanning and embracing the ends of said rolls at the base thereof without penetrating said rolls.

4. A strip plaiting comprising a strip of plaiting material having spaced folds formed therein and extending transversely of said material and a row of stitches along each side edge of said material, each penetration of each of the stitches in said row passing through said strip of plaiting material, said stitches spanning and embracing the ends of said folds at the base thereof without penetrating said folds.

5. A strip plaiting comprising a strip of plaiting material having spaced puffed folds formed therein and extending transversely of said material and a row of stitches along each side edge of said material, each penetration of each of the stitches in said row passing through said strip of plaiting material, said stitches spanning and embracing the ends of the folds at the base thereof without penetrating said folds.

6. A strip plaiting comprising a strip of plaiting material having a series of spaced upstanding tubular rolls formed therein and extending transversely of the material and a row of stitches along each side edge of said material, each penetration of each of the stitches in said row passing through said strip of plaiting material, said stitches spanning and embracing the ends of said rolls at the base thereof without penetrating said rolls.

'7. A strip plaiting comprising a strip of plaiting material having spaced puffed folds formed therein and extending transversely of said material and a row of stitches along each side edge of said material, each penetration of each of the stitches in said row passing through said strip of plaiting material, said stitches spanning and embracing the ends of the folds at the base thereof without penetrating said folds, said folds having their ends extending rearwardly.

8. A strip plaiting comprising a strip of plaiting material having spaced puffed folds formed therein and extending transversely of said material and a row of stitches along each side edge of said material, each penetration of each of the stitches in said row passing through said strip of plaiting material, said folds having concave front faces, and said stitches spanning and embracing the ends of said folds at the base thereof 'without penetrating said folds.

9. A strip plaiting comprising a strip of plaiting material having spaced puffed folds formed therein and extending transversely of said material and a row of stitches along each side edge of said material, each penetration of each of the stitches in said row passing through said strip of plaiting material, said folds having concave front faces and having their ends inclined rearwardly, and said stitches spanning and embracing the ends of said folds at the base thereof without penetrating said folds.

CHARLES SEAMAN. 

